NASA has
selected TRW and Dynacs Inc., of Palm Harbor, Fla., as
recipients of the 2000 Goldin-Stokes award, the space agency’s highest
honor for contractors participating in its mentor-protege program to
help small, disadvantaged businesses grow and prosper in the aerospace
industry and beyond.
Assisted by TRW’s mentoring since 1994, Dynacs has grown from
near-start-up status with 30 employees and $3 million in annual sales,
to a thriving company today with more than 700 employees and more than
$70 million in sales.
During that period, Dynacs, whose business is spacecraft flight
operations and control, has developed its space industry acumen while
acting as a subcontractor, and protege, to TRW, whose space programs
include building satellites for NASA’s Earth Observing System for
environmental monitoring.
“This award highlights the value of mentor-protege relationships,”
said Timothy W. Hannemann, executive vice president and general
manager of TRW Space & Electronics Group. “As a NASA prime contractor,
TRW benefits from Dynacs’ growth, the strengthening of their
management skills and their high-value services, which help us better
serve our customers and keep our costs competitive.”
Some eight Dynacs employees now live in Southern California, where
they work on the Earth Observing System (EOS) Aqua satellite taking
shape at TRW’s Redondo Beach plant and scheduled to launch in 2001.
“We feel honored and privileged to be a part of TRW’s EOS program.
Our companies’ synergies and cutting-edge technologies augur well for
collaboration and teamwork on new programs in the future,” said Dr.
Ramen P. Singh, president and chief executive officer of Dynacs Inc.
Singh noted that Dynacs is the only company to win NASA’s
“Minority Prime Contractor of the Year” award twice, in 1997 from the
Johnson Space Center for excellence on the International Space Station
program, and in 1999 from the Kennedy Space Center for excellence in
engineering development.
This year’s presentation marked the fifth anniversary of the
Goldin-Stokes award, named for NASA’s Administrator Daniel Goldin and
former Ohio Congressman Louis Stokes. To be eligible for the award,
protege companies must hold a current subcontract with the mentor firm
and demonstrate enhanced performance.
Other criteria include high-tech capabilities; demonstration of
strategies and methods for development assistance; community
contributions; and safety, NASA’s No. 1 priority.
TRW Space & Electronics Group is a world leader in space system
development and microelectronics. TRW Inc. provides advanced
technology products and services for the global automotive, aerospace,
telecommunications and information systems markets.
News releases about TRW activities are available on the corporate
Web site, www.trw.com or at http://www.businesswire.com/trw/.
Dynacs Inc. is a rapidly growing enterprise making major
contributions to the aerospace industry. In addition to its strong
systems engineering, integration and software background, Dynacs has a
media services unit based in California that provides digital
conversion services and products. Information about Dynacs is
available on the corporate Web site: www.dynacs.com.